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Mwaura calls for stricter gun issuance rules to curb misuse

Government Spokesperson Issac Mwaura addresses mourners on June 5, 2024, at Anthony Njomo's funeral ceremony at the ACK St. Andrew's Church, Ngegu Parish, in the Ngegu Village of Kimabu County. (Photo: X/Isaac Mwaura)

By Vincent Ombati | Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura noted that not everyone is entitled to hold a firearm, though those who keep them are motivated by the desire to feel secure.

Government Spokesperson Issac Mwaura has called for tighter regulations on firearms issuance, saying innocent lives are lost in the hands of unscrupulous firearms holders.

Speaking at a funeral ceremony in Kiambu County on Wednesday, the spokesperson cited murder cases that have resulted from domestic squabbles.

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Mwaura noted that not everyone is entitled to hold a firearm, though those who keep them are motivated by the desire to feel secure.

"There should be a [control on] how many people are given guns privately," he said, further citing the gun violence crisis in the United States of America, where shootings have taken place in schools, churches, and other public spaces.

"In the States, a young man can take a gun and go on a shooting spree, harming people," he told mourners at the ACK St. Andrew's Church, Ngegu Parish in Ngegu Village.

We must urgently initiate a national conversation on private firearm licensing. It is profoundly tragic to lose precious lives to unscrupulous firearm holders.

Anthony was shot dead in a lounge, ending his illustrious career as an electrical engineer with the US Embassy in… pic.twitter.com/uNTGZhR4Qa
— Dr. Isaac Mwaura CBS (@MwauraIsaac1) June 4, 2024

Mwaura also called for entertainment joints to be more vigilant and deny entry to armed people to protect their businesses and their clients.

"I urged club owners to ensure the safety of their patrons by preventing the entry of weapons and firearms," he said.

The ceremony Mwaura attended was for Anthony Njomo, a 36-year-old who worked at the US Embassy in Nairobi as an electrician.

Reports indicate that Njomo was killed by a stray bullet outside the Qukin Lounge in Kiambu. Kiambu County commander Michael Muchiri said a police officer and two men were arrested in connection to the incident.

Meanwhile, Gatundu South MP Gabriel Gathuka Kagombe is in police custody over the shooting in Thika Town of boda boda rider David Nduati Wataha.

To be a licenced gunholder in Kenya, one must be trained in handling firearms, have no criminal record, and be of a sound mind.